Nemesis
by DMBfan
Summary: Someone has a grudge against the Bakers. He'll stop at nothing to make their lives miserable. The Bakers only hope is an estranged uncle and a volatile homicide detective. Rated T for violence and language. Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

This fic is written by Donny304 and myself. Donny wrote the first chapter. Please review.

_**Disclaimer: We do not own Cheaper by the Dozen**_

Chapter 1

Kate gets a phone call from Jake's school. Tom is on his way there. They walk into the principals office where Jake is. He's slumped down in a chair, looking miserable.

"Mr. and Mrs. Baker have a seat,"ﾝ Mrs. Hartwell told them. Tom and Kate sat down on either side of Jake.

"Is Jake okay?" Tom asked her. Mrs. Hartwell sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Jake forged your signature on a detention note and on a failed test,"ﾝ Mrs. Hartwell replied. Tom and Kate glared at Jake. Jake's eyes fell to the floor and he slumped further down in his seat.

"We'll talk to him when we get home,"ﾝ Kate said.

"That's not all. Then, he lied to the teacher and said that he didn't forge your signature Mr. Baker," Mrs. Hartwell continued. Kate turned to Jake, disappointment all over her face.

"Why would you forge your Fathers signature?"ﾝ Kate asked Jake.

"I don't know,"ﾝ Jake shrugged.

"Jake, you are suspended from school for a week,"ﾝ Mrs. Hartwell told him. Jake's head shot up.

"That's not fair,"ﾝ Jake replied, rising to his feet. Tom pulled him back down.

"Jake, you should have came to me or your Mother," Tom said to him, his eyes flaring. He was pissed off. Jake was in trouble way too much.

"I didn't want you guys to be disappointed with me,"ﾝ Jake sighed.

"Not coming to us and forging signatures is what disappointed us," Kate explained.

Jake, Tom and Kate walk out of Mrs. Hartwell's office. Tom goes back to Lakeside High School and Kate drives Jake back home. Jake is grounded for two weeks and can't go to the big Baker reunion party that everyone else is going to that night, even though Jake has been looking forward to it for months. Nora stays home to baby-sit Jake. Jake is upset that he can't go to the party like everyone else.

"Why can't Jake come to the party with us?" Mike asked.

"He's grounded that's why." Tom answered.

"That's not fair." Sarah complained.

"He shouldn't have forged your father's signature on the detention slip and the failed test. The he lied to his teacher about it." Kate explained.

Jake, Mike and Sarah complain at the same time.

"Jake isn't coming with us and that's that." Tom told them. Jake stormed off to his room as everyone left. He flopped down on his bed and sighed. He had blown it big time.

Around eight that night Jake hears someone outside the dinning room window. He looks out that window and doesn't see anything. He then hears the back door slam shut.

"Nora?"ﾝ Jake asked with fear in his voice. He gulped and headed downstairs.

When Jake walks into the kitchen no one is in there. When he turns around he's stabbed in the stomach with a knife. Jake yelped as the searing pain passed through his stomach. It kind of felt like when his appendix burst but only ten times worst. Jake is gasping for air and has blood dripping from his mouth. Nora hears Jake crying and she comes down stairs.

When Nora walks into the kitchen she sees blood on the floor. Jake was dragged into the living room. Nora follows the blood trail. When see gets into the living room she sees Jake on the floor. Before Nora could scream she is stabbed herself. Nora is stabbed several times. The man who stabbed Nora and Jake flees the scene.

Nora uses the strength that she has left to call 911. On the phone Nora sounds weak. They send an ambulance to the house. When Nora hangs up the phone she falls to the ground and dies.


	2. Chapter 2

So sorry for keeping you wait! Really sorry to Donny. Didn't mean to go on hiatus there. Please review. We put the time into write, you can at least review. Thank you!

Chapter 2

Dr. Linda Calder was almost out the door. Her ten hour shift was almost over when a nurse came rushing up to her.

"Dr. Calder. We have a badly injured child coming in," explained the nurse. Calder paused for a moment and sighed. There goes a relaxing evening at home. Calder turned on her heels and followed the nurse down towards the emergency room.

"How bad of an injury?" asked Calder, quickening her pace.

"Stab wound to the abdomen," replied the nurse.

"How old is the child?" asked Calder.

"Eleven," answered the nurse.

"How'd an eleven year old kid get stabbed?" asked Calder.

"Home invasion. He was home with his older sister when they were attacked by an intruder. The sister was killed and he's barely holding on," replied the nurse. Other nurses were getting the emergency room ready. Calder and the first nurse went out to greet the ambulance. It was going to be a long night.

………….

Jake wasn't sure if he was dreaming. He could hear voices around him. Some were calling his name. The last thing Jake remembered was being stabbed. Was he dead? If he had survived, he knew he would need surgery. No big deal. He had undergone surgery before. Most everyone in the family had. Who had it last, Jake asked himself. Sarah. That's right. Last month she had her appendix removed. That cost a lot of money. Mom and Dad would be in debt for sure now, thought Jake as he felt himself being moved. His vision came back into focus for a moment. He was staring up at people wearing surgical masks. Yep, he was going to have surgery. Jake descended into blackness, glad to escape the pain and fear.

………….

The Bakers arrived at the hospital twenty minutes after Jake was taken into surgery. The only news was that his spleen may have been damaged. His pancreas would probably have to go as well. It was just too soon to tell. Jake would be in surgery for awhile. Kate was still in shock over Nora's violent death. She knew that it would hit her with full force later. Everyone got settled down in a private waiting room. Kate pulled Tom aside.

"I want your brother on this," began Kate. Tom rubbed his chin.

"David's only a private investigator now. He's not a homicide detective," replied Tom.

"Nora was murdered tonight and Jake may never be the same again. I'll only trust family with this," exclaimed Kate. She fought back tears. This wasn't the first time she had almost lost Jake. A year ago he'd been hit by a drunk driver and needed extensive orthopedic work on his legs and hips. Now he'd been stabbed and worst, Nora was dead. Tom sighed and caved.

"I'll call David. Get his take on things," assured Tom. Kate nodded and threw her arms around Tom, finally letting it all out.

…………..

David Baker watched with pride as his nine-year-old son hit a home run and won the game for his little league team. Ryan Baker was grinning from ear to ear as he rounded the bases and got lifted up into the air by his teammates. David groaned as the moment was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

"Yes," said David, answering.

"David, it's Tom," replied the caller. David sucked in a breath. He hadn't spoken to Tom in awhile. He listened as Tom explained to him that Nora had been murdered in a home invasion and Jake was in surgery from a stab wound. The surgery was entering it's second hour. Tom wanted David to look into it.

"I'm sure homicide is more then capable of looking into the case," answered David.

"Kate wants you to look into for us. She trusts you." Ryan was running over to David.

"I have to go." David hung up before Tom could respond. He held his arms out as Ryan leaped into an embrace.

"Did you see my homerun, Dad?" asked Ryan, still grinning.

"I did. It's in the next county by now," answered David, putting Ryan down. The boy looked just like his mother. Black hair. Big brown eyes. A button nose. Unusually full and sensual lips that always seemed to be curled into a smile. He was the spitting image of his mother. Ryan collected his things and followed David to their car. They didn't notice the man watching them from a black El Dorado. The man smiled and blew out a puff of cigarette smoke as David pulled out of the parking lot and drove off.


End file.
